4000 Essential English Words 5 » Unit 2: The Helpful Abbey

Word List
  • abbey [ˈæbi] n.
    An abbey is a house or group of houses where monks or nuns live.
    → When the monk returned to the abbey, he went immediately to his bedroom.
  • abundant [əˈbʌndənt] adj.
    If something is abundant, then it is available in large quantities.
    → Cakes, cookies, and candy were so abundant that the child was very happy.
  • adjoin [əˈdʒɔin] v.
    To adjoin something means to be next to or attached to something else.
    → She can listen to her brother’s conversations because her room adjoins his.
  • ample [ˈæmpl] adj.
    If something is ample, then it is enough or more than enough.
    → There was an ample supply of oats to feed the horses.
  • arid [ˈærid] adj.
    If a place is arid, then it is hot and dry and gets very little or no rain.
    → Not many plants grow in the arid desert.
  • cathedral [kəˈθiːdrəl] n.
    A cathedral is an important and often large and beautifully built church.
    → The large cathedral is full of people on Sunday mornings.
  • deprive [diˈpraiv] v.
    To deprive someone of something means to not let them have it.
    → Because the child was bad, she was deprived of her dessert after dinner.
  • drought [draut] n.
    A drought is a long period of time in which little or no rain falls.
    → After three months of drought, the vegetation and trees started dying.
  • eligible [ˈelidʒəbəl] adj.
    If someone is eligible, then they are permitted to do or have something.
    → Only people who bought tickets were eligible to win a prize.
  • fast [fæst] v.
    To fast means to go without food or drink for a period of time.
    → In her religion, they fast for five days and then have a big feast.
  • grumble [ˈgrʌmbəl] v.
    To grumble means to complain.
    → He grumbled about having to work late on Friday.
  • inland [ˈinlənd] adv.
    If someone goes inland, they travel into the center of a country or land.
    → The river curved inland near the campground.
  • moisture [ˈmɔistʃər] n.
    Moisture is small drops of water in the air or on a surface.
    → If you breathe on a window, moisture from your breath collects on the glass.
  • nonetheless [ˌnʌnðəˈles] adv.
    If something happens nonetheless, then it occurs despite some other thing.
    → She tried to keep the dog out of the mud, but it got dirty nonetheless.
  • oath [ouθ] n.
    An oath is a formal, often public, promise.
    → Judges must take an oath to be fair to everyone in court.
  • prairie [ˈprɛəri] n.
    A prairie is a large flat area of grassland.
    → The prairie was perfect for a farm because there were hills and trees.
  • ragged [ˈrægid] adj.
    If something is ragged, then it is old, torn, and falling apart.
    → They could see his toes through the holes in his ragged shoes.
  • rugged [ˈrʌgid] adj.
    If an area of land is rugged, then it is rocky and difficult to travel through.
    → Their car couldn’t make it far along the rugged roads.
  • scarce [ˈskɛə:rs] adj.
    If something is scarce, then it is in a very small amount.
    → When gasoline was scarce, we rode our bikes, instead of driving, to school.
  • speculate [ˈspekjəleit] v.
    To speculate means to guess about something.
    → My sister looked at the sky and speculated that it would rain tomorrow.
Exercise 1

Choose the answer that best fits the question.

  1. What would probably happen if you deprived someone of food?
    • a. They could die.
    • b. They could feel relieved.
    • c. They could feel happy.
    • d. They could feel peace.
  2. A rugged surface would feel ______ .
    • a. very rough
    • b. smooth
    • c. cool and slippery
    • d. warm and hard
  3. If you were speculating about something, you would be doing what?
    • a. Stating a fact
    • b. Looking for truth
    • c. Making a speech
    • d. Making a guess
  4. Where would someone take an oath?
    • a. At the subway
    • b. In court
    • c. On vacation
    • d. In their sleep
  5. If something were covered with moisture, then it would feel ______.
    • a. hard
    • b. rough
    • c. soft
    • d. wet
Exercise 2

Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the word bank.

WORD BLANK
abundant moisture cathedral scarce
fast arid eligible oath
rugged prairie    

Traveling across the 1___________  was more difficult than it seemed.
The ground was very 2___________, and the grass was high.

John had been in a place with a(n) 3___________ climate for a long time.
He forgot that in a humid place everything was covered with 4___________ .

The people who attend that church 5___________ for two weeks in March.
Then they go to the 6___________ where they pray and eat a small meal of soup.

We didn’t know what to do with such a(n) 7___________ supply of wood.
We had gotten used to making small fires when it was so 8___________ .

In order for the students to attend the dance, they had to take a(n) 9___________ .
Those that didn’t promise to be on their best behavior were not 10___________ .

Exercise 3

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

  1. ______ Climbing up the prairie was more difficult without the help of ropes.
  2. ______ There was no way he could mend the holes in his shirt. It was too rugged to wear.
  3. ______ In some countries, only people who owned land were eligible to vote.
  4. ______ The capital was in the middle of the country. They had to travel inland to get there.
  5. ______ He knew she didn’t like him, but he helped her nonetheless.
Exercise 4

Write a word that is similar in meaning to the underlined part.

  1. That part of the country is so hot and dry that no one lives there.
    ____________
  2. After getting off the boat, they took a train toward the center of the country.
    ____________
  3. They survived through the time in which no rain fell by carrying water down from the hills.
    ____________
  4. This house for the monks was built well over 200 years ago.
    ____________
  5. He knew he’d get in trouble, but he stole the money despite the punishment.
    ____________
  6. He guessed that the visitor’s team would win the game.
    ____________
  7. The number of people helping to clean the trash near the river was more than enough.
    ____________
  8. There was a small park that was next to the yard surrounding the church.
    ____________
  9. Because his pants were old and torn. Dad bought him a new pair.
    ____________
  10. The long lines did not allow her of a chance to buy a ticket for the concert.
    ____________
Answer Key
Exercise 1
  1. a
  2. a
  3. d
  4. b
  5. d
Exercise 2
  1. prairie
  2. rugged
  3. arid
  4. moisture
  5. fast
  6. cathedral
  7. abundant
  8. scarce
  9. oath
  10. eligible
Exercise 3
  1. I
  2. I
  3. C
  4. C
  5. C
Exercise 4
  1. arid
  2. inland
  3. drought
  4. abbey
  5. nonetheless
  6. speculated
  7. ample
  8. adjoined
  9. ragged
  10. deprived
Answer Key
The Helpful Abbey

It had not rained on the prairie for several months. Because of the drought, the climate had become very arid. There was no moisture left in the soil. No crops could grow in the dry ground. By wintertime, the people had nothing to eat.

The hungry families heard about an abbey near the mountains where food and water was still abundant. So they traveled inland, across the prairie, to the abbey.

At first only a few families arrived, seeking food and shelter. Then there was ample food. The monks fed them and let them sleep in the small cathedral.

Soon, however, more families were arriving every day. These people had to travel farther, so they were in worse condition. The rugged journey had made their clothes ragged. They were cold and tired. The tiny cathedral was soon full.

Food became scarce. The monks began to grumble. They began to speculate that there would be no food. “If more families come, we won’t make it through the winter,” said a young monk. “We must ask some of them to leave.”

The abbot heard this. “We cannot do that,” he said. “It would be wrong to deprive them of food and shelter. We took an oath to help those that need help. All here are in need, so all are eligible to receive our food and shelter.”

“But we won’t have enough,” the monk said.

“That might be true, but we must help them nonetheless. We will fast,” the abbot replied. “Also, we will give our rooms in the abbey to those sleeping outside, and we will sleep in the churchyard that adjoins the cathedral.”

The monks were reluctant at first, but they did what the oldest monk said. By the end of winter, there was still enough food and shelter for everyone. They learned that sometimes helping others means you must give more help than you first expected.

Reading Comprehension

Part A: Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false statements to make them true.

  1. _____ The moisture in the soil was gone because a drought made the prairie become arid.
    • _____________________________________________________
  2. _____ The hungry families traveled inland to an abbey that still had abundant food.
    • _____________________________________________________
  3. _____ Food was scarce, but the monks had to deprive the families nonetheless.
    • _____________________________________________________
  4. _____ At first there was ample food and enough room in the cathedral for everyone.
    • _____________________________________________________
  5. _____ The rugged journey to the abbey had left many people’s clothing looking ragged.
    • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. According to the abbot, who was eligible to receive the monks’ help?
    _____________
  2. When the monks grumbled, what did the young monk speculate would happen if more families arrived?
    _____________
  3. Why did the monks fast and sleep in the churchyard that adjoined the cathedral?
    _____________
  4. What was the oath that the monks had taken?
    _____________
  5. What did the monks learn about helping others?
    _____________
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
Part A
  1. T
  2. T
  3. F / Food was scarce, but the monks had to help the families nonetheless.
  4. T
  5. T
Part B
  1. The abbot said, “All were eligible.”
  2. When the monks grumbled, the young monk speculated that if more families came, then they wouldn't make it through the winter.
  3. The monks fasted and slept in the churchyard that adjoined the cathedral so that the families would have enough food and shelter.
  4. The monks had taken an oath to help those that need help.
  5. They learned that sometimes helping others means you must give more help than you first expected.
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